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These are what we call the 'YMMV items.' Things that some people find in this work. We call them 'your mileage might vary' because not everyone sees these things in the same way. This starts discussions in the trope lists, a thing we don't want. Please use the discussion page if you'd like to discuss any of these items.

Adaptation Displacement: After complaints from patrons wondering where Jack was, the original theme park rides, which were always among Disney's most popular attractions, were modified to include elements from the films.

There's various ways to interpret Norrington. Some see him as a bastard Inspector Javert who was only trying to save his own hide and honor, some see him as The Woobie who got way more punches than he deserved and did what any other reasonable human would have done in his situation. Those are the most popular, there's also handful of other points of view.

And so is Cutler Beckett. Many people see him as a Complete Monster (see below), while some consider him as a Hero Antagonist who wants the best for England, and tries to remove the evil of piracy, who are the real villains in their interpretation (and to be fair were not exactly nice people in real life).

And then there's Captain Jack Sparrow - is he really a Lovable Rogue, Crazy Awesome rebel and Genius Ditz, or a deceptively evil man who manipulates the good will of others, even if he is the lesser of two evils when compared to someone like Barbossa.

By the fourth film's end it is made very clear that though Captain Jack Sparrow may love rum, the company of women (and men), and the freedom to do whatever he damn well pleases... there is only one thing that truly, genuinely, has his heart...and that...is his beloved Black Pearl.

Even Cutler Beckett for those who agree that all pirates are evil and should be killed.

Dry Docking: The YKKTW for the trope was even called "Stay Away From Jack Sparrow!"

Ear Worm: All of Hans Zimmer and Klaus Badelt's music is pretty catchy, but two tunes stand supreme: "He's a Pirate", the de facto theme song of the movies and "Hoist the Colours" from the beginning of third movie.

{The first movie} so wraps you — okay, me — up in its aching yearning for the rash and the adventurous and the romantic that you — okay, I — let out a little gasp of frustration every time Orlando Bloom fails to kiss Keira Knightly, or Johnny Depp fails to kiss Keira Knightley, or Johnny Depp fails to kiss Orlando Bloom. God, somebody kiss anybody, I just can't stand the anticipation anymore.

Jack and Beckett was rather blatant, especially in the extended version of their "The Thing You Want Most" scene in AWE. Beckett sounds more sad than angry, which hints that it was something a bit more than a betrayal against the company. Beckett also, several times, tries not to laugh, or laugh too hard at Jack's antics, almost like he doesn't want to be lulled into the sense that everything is still okay between them. In addition, this is one of the only scenes were Beckett spends the majority of it not looking at the person he's talking to.

Pintel and Ragetti. Even the latter's actor during the second movie stated he thought the characters were a gay couple. It must be the pink shirt.

Captain Jack Sparrow is quite a good guy by pirate standards, but he's still got just enough of a treacherous streak to qualify for this. Wouldn't want things to get boring, after all. Jack is one of those characters who really puts the "magnificent" in this trope.

Barbossa is a contender too. Back in Curse of the Black Pearl, when Elizabeth tries to get him to stop attacking the city he says "I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request." and keeps her hostage. Later when he sends her an invitation to dinner, she tries to Ironic Echo him:

Elizabeth: You may tell your captain that I'm disinclined to acquiesce to his request. Pintel: He said you'd say that, and he also said that if that's the case you'll be dining with the crew. And you'll be naked.

As is Lord Cutler Beckett in Dead Man's Chest, before he getsworse in the next film.

Romantic Plot Tumor: It is rumored that Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley's decisions not to reprise their respective roles for On Stranger Tides, as well as their Creator Backlash bordering on Old Shame dispositions toward the characters, stem from the romance story which took over the trilogy, rather than the characters themselves.

The subplot between Philip and Syrena in On Stranger Tides grinds the film to a stop each time they appear. To its credit, it remains a subplot.

Given that they're in the title and all the focus is on them, the fans can be forgiven for cheering for the pirates and wanting them to win. While granted most of them are Lovable Rogues and very little piracy is actually shown, they are still pirates, who were obviously quite nasty people.

There are quite a few people who sympathize with The East India Trading Company. Many of their fans forget that Beckett fighting against pirates wasn't Order Versus Chaos; it was removing the competition, as he did a lot of piracy and murder himself.

The film's writers mention they intentionally wrote Captain Barbossa as an Anti-Hero throughout the first movie, given his singular goal is to end the ten-year-long curse that has plagued him and his crew. Throughout the film they wanted to give the audience the impression that despite being the antagonist, he might not actually be a bad guy. This is why Barbossa's scene where he explains the torment of the curse to Elizabeth was constantly being rewritten and added to by both the writers and Geoffrey Rush to get it perfect. It definitely shows.

Sequelitis: As demonstrated by both decaying critic reviews and box office

Strawman Has a Point: Though he was cursed for doing so, Davy Jones's reasons for abandoning the job and giving the Brethren Court the means to bind Calypso were pretty understandable. Despite Calypso's line of "It's my nature", it's a very flimsy excuse for having him do his job for ten years and then not give him the small reward he earned (seeing him for one day). On the other hand, neither Jones nor Calypso comes out of that relationship looking too good.

They Changed It, Now It Sucks: The addition of elements from the movies to the original rides has resulted in quite the Broken Base. Even BEFORE the movies existed, there were fans outraged over the differences between the Disneyland and Magic Kingdom versions.

Also Bootstrap Bill, practically a living piece of the Dutchman's wall. Jack hallucinates himself in this same way too.

What Do Ye Mean It Be For Nippers?: This is a Disney franchise, and despite its subject matter, is generally considered family friendly, and isn't too violent or adult. Then there's that scene in the beginning of At World's End in which dozens of innocent people, including young children, are sentenced to death and hanged while singing mournfully. Sweet dreams, kids! Dead Man's Chest beat At World's End to the punch with the pirate prison scene, with the family-friendly image of a pirate screaming as a bird pecks his eye out.

What The Hell Casting Agency: The first film, Curse of the Black Pearl, states very clearly at least twice that Will, played by lean, smooth pretty boy Orlando Bloom, is the spitting image of his father, Bootstrap Bill Turner. In the second and third films, Dead Man's Chest and At World's End, Boostrap Bill is played by big, stocky, craggy faced Stellan Skarsgård. What, they couldn't find an actor who at least matched Bloom's physicality?

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